+stephena Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 1 hour ago, johnnywc said: Brick pattern display: Zoo Keeper uses a special technique to draw the vertical lines in the brick pattern on the first and third screens. This feature requires that the game be played on a CRT with real hardware or that S-Video video effects are enabled (in Stella). Excellent work so far! But I think you can use any TV mode in Stella, not just S-video. RGB/Composite/Bad Adjust also show the vertical lines. So there's some choice there, as long as one of the TV modes are used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prizrak Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Never played this game until I got me an xbox with CoinOps on it. Very challenging game and was amazed to see this for the 2600. I've been following its development and eagerly awaited the demo. Does not disappoint, amazing work by Champ Games yet again. This version is just as tough as the arcade version and look forward to this being released next year. Outstanding!Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prizrak Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Been playing the mess out of this since last night, any chance our demo will include the escalator level as well as the game develops. Watched the ZPH stream and I'm gathering ours only has 4 regular and 2 platform stage right?Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted December 24, 2019 Author Share Posted December 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Prizrak said: Been playing the mess out of this since last night, any chance our demo will include the escalator level as well as the game develops. Watched the ZPH stream and I'm gathering ours only has 4 regular and 2 platform stage right? Hello there! The demo should include 6 zoo stages, 3 platform stages and 2 escalator stages. After completing the 2nd escalator stage, it should wrap back to round 1 zoo stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted December 24, 2019 Author Share Posted December 24, 2019 12 hours ago, stephena said: Excellent work so far! But I think you can use any TV mode in Stella, not just S-video. RGB/Composite/Bad Adjust also show the vertical lines. So there's some choice there, as long as one of the TV modes are used. Thanks Stephen! Yes, you are correct, any of the the TV effects in Stella will simulate the vertical brick pattern - thanks for the clarification! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prizrak Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Sweet, wasn't sure because I've yet to get passed the 2nd platform level lol. Kicking my butt but I'm determined. Going to be playing this as well as some other Champ games this holiday season.Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEBRO Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Hi there, 15 hours ago, johnnywc said: As promised, here are the demo ROMs for Zoo Keeper, both NTSC and PAL60. I saw the demo on ZeroPageHomebrew's Twitch channel. Very impressive as usual. How would these graphics work on for PAL50 refresh? Would the screen refresh too slow to give the same effect of NTSC or PAL60? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted December 24, 2019 Author Share Posted December 24, 2019 43 minutes ago, DEBRO said: Hi there, I saw the demo on ZeroPageHomebrew's Twitch channel. Very impressive as usual. Hi Dennis! Thanks! This one has been a year in the making but we're pretty happy with how it's coming along. 43 minutes ago, DEBRO said: How would these graphics work on for PAL50 refresh? Would the screen refresh too slow to give the same effect of NTSC or PAL60? Hmmm, maybe - honestly I'm not even sure what causes the vertical lines to appear. I just happened to notice the effect while working on the MAPPY logo with Thomas Jentzsch last year and we were trying to make the 'M' larger with another sprite and I saw the vertical line down the middle that inspired me to try to use it for a brick pattern like Zoo Keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Is it just me, or is there a spot on the lower right bottom wall that, when moving counter clockwise, that Zeke just stops? If you try running or jumping over it, he won't continue counter clockwise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted December 24, 2019 Author Share Posted December 24, 2019 33 minutes ago, Inky said: Is it just me, or is there a spot on the lower right bottom wall that, when moving counter clockwise, that Zeke just stops? If you try running or jumping over it, he won't continue counter clockwise? Hmmm, I just tested it and Zeke moves fine around all corners. Note that, like the arcade, when you reach a corner, you can keep pressing in the same direction as you hit the corner, he'll keep going around the corner for a bit. At that point, you need to press the joystick in the direction he's moving. For example, as you approach the lower right corner going counter clockwise, you are pressing the joystick right. As you approach the corner, keep pressing right and Zeke will take the corner and start moving up for a bit. At that point, you should start moving up so Zeke continues in that direction, otherwise he will stop if you're still pressing right but he needs to move up. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 28 minutes ago, johnnywc said: Hmmm, I just tested it and Zeke moves fine around all corners. Note that, like the arcade, when you reach a corner, you can keep pressing in the same direction as you hit the corner, he'll keep going around the corner for a bit. At that point, you need to press the joystick in the direction he's moving. For example, as you approach the lower right corner going counter clockwise, you are pressing the joystick right. As you approach the corner, keep pressing right and Zeke will take the corner and start moving up for a bit. At that point, you should start moving up so Zeke continues in that direction, otherwise he will stop if you're still pressing right but he needs to move up. Hope that helps! Thing is, this wasn't at the corner. It was about an inch the the right of it. I'll try again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.E.R.O. Posted December 25, 2019 Share Posted December 25, 2019 Thanks for the demo roms, Johnny. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Atari Year. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevKelley Posted December 26, 2019 Share Posted December 26, 2019 I never heard of this game before I started seeing it in the AtariAge forums. I love the gameplay and graphics, but my personal preference is to have the bricks solid, but then again I was playing on Stella on a laptop so even with the various effects I may not have been getting the optimal appearance. That being said, I cannot wait to see this one completed and added to my "to buy" list along with other great Champ Games, like Mappy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 On 12/25/2019 at 8:43 PM, KevKelley said: I never heard of this game before I started seeing it in the AtariAge forums. I love the gameplay and graphics, but my personal preference is to have the bricks solid, but then again I was playing on Stella on a laptop so even with the various effects I may not have been getting the optimal appearance. Thanks! I should have mentioned in the original post that you can set the LEFT DIFFICULTY switch to A to disable the vertical lines in the bricks which eliminates the flicker on the play field. On 12/25/2019 at 8:43 PM, KevKelley said: That being said, I cannot wait to see this one completed and added to my "to buy" list along with other great Champ Games, like Mappy. Thanks in advance for you support, it's much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevKelley Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Luckily I read the forum first! The gameplay was very addictive with building new bricks. It is amazing to read about the development of these games and just imagine what could have been had these been developed in the past. Keep up the great work. I see so many posts with people showing off their Activision or Spectravideo or Parker Bros collection. I imagine people showing off their Champ Games collection will be soon to come. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 1 hour ago, KevKelley said: I see so many posts with people showing off their Activision or Spectravideo or Parker Bros collection. I imagine people showing off their Champ Games collection will be soon to come. ? 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keebz Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 this is sooooooo good 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deteacher Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Holy crap! What an amazing job! I will definitely be picking this up when it's released! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamchevy Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Champ games has reinvigorated my love for the 2600! This game looks and plays amazing! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILLSeaBass Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Awesome! I gave this a few plays earlier today and was blown away. Looking forward to the final release of this one! Cheers! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TwentySixHundred Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 One thing i still can't get my head around with Zoo Keeper and Galagon is the shear amount of sprites on one screen. I can't help but think a Lemmings port would be possible with this sort of technology. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ZeroPage Homebrew Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 CONGRATULATIONS to Zoo Keeper for being nominated in the 2019 Atari Homebrew Awards! Be sure to vote for your favourite homebrew games of 2019 with the links below and watch the awards LIVE on February 1, 2020! Awards Show: February 1, 2020 @ 12:00PM PT | 3PM ET | 8PM GMT LIVE on the ZeroPage Homebrew Twitch Channel! Atari Homebrew Awards Categories (VOTE IN ALL!!): Atari 2600: Best Homebrew Atari 7800: Best Homebrew (New!) Atari 8-Bit/5200: Best Homebrew (New!) Atari 2600: Best ≤ 4K Homebrew (2600) (New!) Atari 2600: Best Graphics Atari 2600: Best Music & Sound Atari 2600: Best Packaging Atari 2600: Best WIP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ZeroPage Homebrew Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 2019 ATARI HOMEBREW AWARDS RESULTS Thank you everyone for an amazing event today. Congratulations to all the nominees and the winners! You can watch the replay on Twitch or when it's posted on YouTube tomorrow! Atari 2600: Best Homebrew ≤4K 1) Amoeba Jump by Dion Olsthoorn "Dionoid" 2) Space Game 2KB by Karl Garrison "Karl G" 3) Caverns by Harold Thijssen Atari 7800: Best Homebrew 1) Rikki & Vikki by PenguiNet "TailChao" 2) Baby Pac-Man by Bob DeCrecenzo "PacManPlus" 3) Draker Quest II by Clark Otto "frankodragon" Atari 2600: Best Packaging 1) Rally Racer by More Work Games 2) Galagon (Galaga) by Champ Games (packaging by Dave Dries) 3) Wizard of Wor Arcade by Champ Games (packaging by Dave Dries) Atari 2600: Best WIP 1) Zoo Keeper by Champ Games 2) Ninjish Guy in Low Res World by Vladimir Zuñiga (aka John Von Neumann) "vhzc" 3) Penult by Karl Garrison "Karl G" Atari 8-Bit/5200: Best Homebrew 1) Gravity Worms - Krzysztof "xxl" Dudek, Jakub "Aceman" Szeląg, Kamil "Vidol" Walaszek 2) Jet Set Willy 2019 - Terence "Tezz" Derby (original game by Matthew Smith) 2) Wasteland - Michael Jaskula Atari 2600: Best Music & Sound 1) Wizard of Wor Arcade by Champ Games (sound by Mike Haas with Ross Keenum) 2) Galagon (Galaga) by Champ Games (sound and music by Ross Keenum) 3) Aardvark by Oscar Toledo Gutiérrez "nanochess" and Thomas Jentzsch (design and coding), Nathan Strum (graphics and packaging) Atari 2600: Best Graphics 1) Aardvark by Oscar Toledo Gutiérrez "nanochess" and Thomas Jentzsch (design and coding), Nathan Strum (graphics and packaging) 2) Galagon (Galaga) by Champ Games (graphics by Nathan Strum) 3) Wizard of Wor Arcade by Champ Games (graphics by Nathan Strum) Atari 2600: Lifetime Achievement Award Albert Yarusso Atari 2600: Best Homebrew 1) Galagon (Galaga) by Champ Games 2) Aardvark by Oscar Toledo Gutiérrez "nanochess" and Thomas Jentzsch (design and coding), Nathan Strum (graphics and packaging) 3) Wizard of Wor Arcade by Champ Games 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randolph Laterca Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 Incredible game! I didn't play the arcade, but the controls feels a bit "loose", especially on the third stage were the jumps are really hard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted March 8, 2020 Author Share Posted March 8, 2020 (edited) Hello all, Here are the updated ROMs for Zoo Keeper (demo #2). The original demo (demo #1) and instructions can be found here. There are numerous bug fixes, game play enhancements and additional bells & whistles. Some of the major updates are: Updated the bonus (escalator) stage to be more like the arcade, including: Updated jump and collision logic with the cage Added in Zeke "triple hop" start level animation (like the arcade) Added in Zelda ❤️ graphic when she's rescued Cages are multi-colored now Updated jump logic to be more like the arcade Added in Zoo rounds 7 - 12, plus additional platform and bonus screens ROUND xx ENDED message displayed for rounds >=10 Added in Savekey support to save high scores and game options (disabled in demo) Added in 2 player (alternating) support (players take turns). (disabled in demo) Added in continue feature that allows the player to continue the current game (with the score reset to 0) up to 3 times. (disabled in demo) Updated the Zoo Keeper title logo to be shorter (same size as the arcade) Updated the platform stage: Updated monkey animation and throwing patterns to be more like the arcade Increased height on the platforms to be more like the arcade Tweaked the platform collision logic fixed the bug where Zelda could not be rescued from the right side of the platform added in platform bonus for jumping on top platform added in sound effect when you land on a platform the "SAVE ME" message is displayed intermittently during the level now (was only displayed at the beginning) Added in the "CAN YOU HOLD IN THE LION?" intermission screen after completing Round 5 (needs music still) Added support to display high scores up to 99,999,999 Updated the zoo stage: Animals will return to the center when captured in a direct path Added in higher frequency sound effects when jumping over more animals Added support to display jump scores up to 30,000,000 Updated the brick fade/wipe animation when completing a level to be more like the arcade fixed a bug where multiple animals could be caught with the net at the same time Added in the Credits screen. We're looking for someone to help with a couple tunes (the lion intermission tune and "NO BONUS" tune when no animals are captured) if anyone is interested! Updated the player score border to be more like the arcade Changed the score color to match the skill level: NOVICE: flashes green/yellow-green STANDARD: flashes turquoise/purple (like the arcade) ADVANCED: flashes red/red-orange On ADVANCED level, the platforms will reverse direction when they are landed on. This is experimental and may be removed or changed to only appear in later levels (it seems to be a tad too difficult) Modified flicker logic so Zeke is more solid. This is very helpful for later zoo levels when there are many animals on the same horizontal area. Changed the difficulty switch actions: LEFT DIFFICULTY controls the location of bonus items on the zoo stage If set to 'B', bonus items are always in the same location as the arcade If set to 'A', bonus items are placed in random locations around the cage RIGHT DIFFICULT controls the brick display pattern on the zoo and bonus stage If set to 'B', the bricks are displayed with vertical lines between bricks (like the arcade). Note the you must enable TV effects in Stella to see this properly. In this mode, the bricks are a bit darker and flicker a little. If set to 'A', the bricks are displayed in a solid pattern with no vertical lines between bricks and no flicker. We estimate the game to be around 98% complete. Nathan Strum has graciously volunteered to do the artwork for the game, and we expect the full version to be available sometime in August of 2020. This is a fully-functional demo, with the following features disabled: Savekey support has been disabled. You can still enter your initials in the high score screen at the end of the game, but scores will not be saved. Additionally, your game options are not saved. Two player (alternating) is disabled (one player only). Continue feature is disabled. In the full version, you are allowed 3 continues once your game ends to start the next game at the current level/screen. Any feedback or suggestions are welcome. Have fun! John NTSC version: zookeeper_20200308_demo2_NTSC.bin PAL60 version: zookeeper_20200308_demo2_PAL60.bin Edited March 9, 2020 by johnnywc Labeled NTSC and PAL60 versions 18 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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